I'm contemplating the purchase of a 235 but feel many of the advantages of a relatively small lifting keel boat are only realisable if it can be towed long distances in safety and comfort. What sort of towing vehicles are people using and what would they recommend ?

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Hi Mike, and welcome to the forum.

We tow our P235 with a Kia Sorento KX2 4x4 it has a towing capacity of 2500 kgs which is more than adequate. Having said that we did get bogged down 2 weeks ago on the slipway at Conwy. Having recovered Juicy Blue to the trailer, the motor just would not budge (not even a wheel spin!) and I needed to get the shovel out to move sand off the concrete slipway from around the wheels, while doing so I was offered a tow (gratefully accepted) and all went well in the end. The trip back home was uneventful and I backed the boat up our steep drive with only the mere whiff of clutch burn this time.[:)]

The car park at the top of the slip.



The concrete slipway covered in sand...photo taken a week beforehand, we had hoped that the council JCB would have cleared the slip for the following week when we had planned to fetch Juicy Blue home..no such luck[:(!]



It is usually clear of sand..The photo shows the extent of the concrete slip there can sometimes be a drop of 9 inches or so off the end of the slip enough to make launching/recovery difficult if not timed right.



So to conclude I would not be happy with anything less than a 4x4 with a towing capacity in excess of 2000 kgs in order to deal with our own particular needs.

Gary/Ruth/& Skipper the Working Cocker Spaniel
Crew of Juicy Blue P235

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We tow our 235 with an 8 year old Land Rover Discovery. It will go anywhere without any trouble, steep slipways in low range and very stable motorway towing with a just about ideal weight ratio between tow vehicle and boat of about 85% as recommended.

Andy Sleeman
P235 no. 69 Galatea

Hi

I had an old Jeep Cherokee 4 litre (converted to LPG), which could handle anything. They are probably quite cheap nowadays, being such gas guzzlers in normal petrol mode. As an LPG it was acceptable (about 80% more miles per buck). Nowadays I launch with a Subaru Forester AWD automatic which copes fine with the Bucklers hard ramp, but I haven't towed anywhere as my trailer is not fit for that anymore.

http://freespace.virgin....james.hamilton/forum.jpg 

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Thanks for all your input, it looks as if a fairly chunky FWD is needed. Another thing I have to do before pursuing a purchase in earnest is to actually see a 235 in the flesh. Would any current owners be willing to let me have a look around their boat ? I live in Warwick and wonder if there is one nearby (ish) ?

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Hello Mike,

Choice of towing vehicle will depend strongly on your choice of slipway. A 4WD vehicle is not "needed" for towing on the road but might be for steep slipways.

My boat is an hour or so away from Warwick if that's any use to you. Send me a PM if you'd like to look her over.

Anthony Russell
235/02 Sea Wyche

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Anthony - Thanks, message sent.

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Mike,

Nothing received. I've tried sending one to you too...

Anthony Russell
235/02 Sea Wyche

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Anthony, I've received nothing either. My phone number is 01926 492554 and my email mike at eastcliffe dot co dot uk. I look forward to hearing from you. Mike.

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I'll check out why the email messages aren't working!

Geoff

Geoff

Parker 21 / 18 Dawn